The Netherlands called on the European Union on Wednesday to designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist group, after the Iran-aligned organisation claimed responsibility for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, have launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war on Gaza.
“The Houthis have long posed a serious threat to freedom of navigation,” the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Countries including the United States, Israel, Canada and Australia have already labelled the Houthis as a terrorist organisation.
A potential EU decision to add the group to its terrorist list — which currently includes 13 individuals and 22 groups or entities — would imply economic sanctions and the freezing of funds and assets.
Monday’s strike on Minervagracht injured two sailors and forced a helicopter evacuation of 19 crew members, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel’s operator.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson said the attack was carried out by a cruise missile.
Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said Minervagracht was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was hit, suffering substantial damage and a fire.
The Houthis said they attacked Minervagracht because its owner violated, “the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine.”
It was the first Houthi attack on a commercial ship since September 1, when they targeted the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
In July, the Houthis attacked and sank the bulk carrier Magic Seas and the cargo ship Eternity C in the Red Sea. The last significant Houthi attack in the Gulf of Aden was on the Singapore-flagged container ship Lobivia in July 2024.
(Reporting by Hatem Maher, Mohammed Ghobari and Alessandro Parodi; Editing by Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates and Ed Osmond)